Fic: Working for Dr McKay
Title: Working for Dr McKay
Creator: starbuckssue
Characters: Miko Kusanagi, Carol Simpson, OC
Rating: Gen
Warnings: None
Prompt: goddess47
Summary: What’s it really been like working here since the beginning and working for Dr McKay, is everything they say about him true?
Notes: Written for SGA_Smooch SGA Love 2014
Many thanks to selenic76 for the beta and helpful suggestions and comments.
“Hi, are you Dr Kusanagi?” Maria Weston hesitated in the doorway as she questioned the sole person currently working in the main lab.
“Yes.” Miko Kusanagi replied, looking up with a smile. “Please call me Miko. You must be one of the new scientists who arrived on the Daedalus yesterday. Welcome to Atlantis.” She reached out as Maria crossed the room to shake her hand.
“Maria Weston, pleased to meet you. Lieutenant Rivers gave us the induction tour yesterday afternoon and pointed out the main labs. I don’t officially start my first duty until Monday but I thought I’d wander around a bit, orient myself and meet some of my colleagues. I understand I’ll initially be working mainly with you and Dr Simpson.”
“That is right. We have both been here since the start of the Atlantis Expedition so we are old hands, as they say.” She smiled as she turned and typed a command into her computer, locking the screen before turning. “Come, I know where to find Carol Simpson, if she is free we could grab a coffee and get to know one another.” She led the way out of the lab towards the smaller labs further down the corridor, her hands in constant motion as she continued talking.
“There are not many of us left from that first group who came through the gate and the first year was very difficult for everyone. Since we re-established contact with Earth people have come and gone. Some love it out here but some do not like the danger or the pressure, others just miss their families and friends, they stay for six months or a year and then rotate back to Earth. Some just do not like working with Dr McKay.” She finished with a shrug.
“I’ve read some of the reports; it sounds as if working on Atlantis is something of a rollercoaster ride.”
Miko laughed in agreement as they turned into a doorway on the left. Maria looked around with interest, seeing several people working in the small lab.
“Hi Carol, have you got time for a coffee? This is Maria Weston.” Miko called out to a rather serious looking woman in the far corner, indicating Maria who was standing beside her smiling shyly.
“Sure, just let me save the settings on this and I can leave it to run on its own.” She typed in a few commands and rose, smiling as she walked over to meet them, the smile changed her demeanor completely. “Hi Maria, glad you made it safely. How did you survive the journey? I usually find being cooped up on the Daedalus a little boring, there’re only so many experiments you can run without external data.”
“I spent the time reading up on some of the Atlantis reports. I was just saying to Miko that it doesn’t seem like there’s ever a dull moment. What’s it really been like working here since the beginning and working for Dr McKay, is everything they say about him true?”
Carol and Miko looked at each other and laughed. They turned out of the lab and started walking towards the transporter as Carol replied with a grin.
“You know if you’d told me six years ago that I’d still be here after all this time I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I knew what McKay was like as I’d worked with him in Antarctica, but it’s not every day you get the chance to explore another galaxy so I thought it was worth it.”
Miko nodded her head in agreement.
“Being chosen for the Atlantis Expedition was a thrill and a great honor, both for me and for my country. I too had heard the rumors about Dr McKay but, like Carol, I decided that it would be worth it to get to experience life in another galaxy.” Miko agreed.
“McKay has mellowed over the years.” Carol admitted. “Oh don’t get me wrong he’s still very intense and liable to rant and rave and bawl you out, but his bark is worse than his bite. After all, out here mistakes can cost lives and even the slightest hesitation can mean the difference between life and death, he works best under pressure himself. Like the time Colonel Sheppard had an Iratus Bug attached to his neck and the Puddlejumper got stuck in the Stargate when one of the drive pods wouldn’t retract. McKay worked on the problem from the Puddlejumper and a group of us worked on it this end. Talk about a deadline, it was literally life or death for everyone on board and we all needed a healthy shot of Radek’s moonshine by the time those 38 minutes were up. It was a close call but they got out of it with literally seconds to go.” She shivered at the memory and, lost in the moment, almost walked into another scientist who was just getting out of the transporter, totally distracted by something on his tablet.
“Oops, sorry Mike.” She said with a frown as they entered the transporter. “Anyway, back in the early days McKay was a total workaholic and a real bear to work for. He forgot to go for meals and lived on coffee and power bars and he didn’t even know any of our names, it was either ‘hey you’ with a lot of snapping of his fingers if we didn’t react quickly enough, or he would get our names completely wrong. He called me Simpkins for about six months before he got it right, even Dr Zelenka had to put up with being called Nelenka, Zelemka or simply The Czech and he works the closest with McKay.”
She broke off as they got out of the transporter and turned down another corridor, moving to one side to avoid a group of marines coming the other way.
“Some people didn’t like him at all at first.” She continued once they were on their own again. “But most of us found that if we did what was asked, did it quickly and to the best of our ability, we were okay. Peter Kavanagh was the worst, he always disagreed or argued with McKay and constantly complained about him, but then Kavanagh was pretty obnoxious, thank goodness he went back to Earth as know I couldn’t have worked with him for six years. McKay and Kavanagh both come across as arrogant know-it-alls, the difference is McKay really is a genius and what he doesn’t know he’ll quickly work out. Kavanagh just thinks he knows better but most of us have proved him wrong at one time or another.”
They entered the mess and Miko introduced Maria to the mess crew as they collected their coffee and dithered over the freshly baked cakes, still warm from the ovens.
“Ooh brownies,” Miko enthused with glee, picking one up and putting it on her tray. “The cooks make such wonderful, gooey, brownies. It is one way to placate Dr McKay, bring him a strong black coffee and brownies.”
Carol rolled her eyes and grinned at Maria as she selected a piece of carrot cake.
“Miko has spent the past five years supplying McKay with coffee and brownies.” She said with a chuckle. “I’m not sure he’s ever thanked her, or even noticed it’s her putting them on his desk, but it certainly calms him down when he’s on a tear. I’m sure if you blindfolded him he’d still find coffee and chocolate the moment they were anywhere near his vicinity.”
Miko flushed slightly and giggled as they made their way through the mess with their trays.
“I think Dr McKay must have been a loner before he came to Atlantis, he is not good with people or social interaction.” Miko reflected as they found a free table at one end of the balcony and settled down with their trays. “He is a genius, although most people will never admit that to his face and a brave and honorable man. It is scary sometimes how quickly his mind can process things, most of us find it hard to keep up. The only person who does come close is Dr Zelenka. When they are brainstorming an idea together their minds work in exactly the same way and they will often finish each other’s sentences, it is quite impressive to watch! The one thing to remember though is that Dr McKay always expects the best from himself and, therefore, from everyone else he works with.”
She stopped to take a mouthful of coffee just as Maria tasted her brownie.
“You were right; these brownies are to die for. Is all the food this good?” Maria asked eagerly.
“The food is a real mixture. Some of our food supplies come from Earth but a lot of the meat, vegetables and fruit we trade for with various communities in Pegasus, particularly the Athosians now they are settled. The food itself is somewhat unusual sometimes, but the cooks do a good job with whatever they have. It’s fusion cooking taken to the extreme.” Carol explained.
“I look forward to trying it all.” Maria replied with interest. “I’ve travelled quite extensively and one thing I always enjoy is trying new foods, there isn’t much I don’t like.”
“You should be alright here then.” Carol twirled her fork with a flourish as she finished the last bite of her carrot cake, a look of bliss on her face. “Ooh I do love the carrot cake. Some of the combinations they come up with are…well, interesting is probably the best way to describe it.”
“Have you worked with Ancient technology for long, Maria?” Miko asked as she drained the last of her coffee.
“I was at Area 51 for two years, then the SGC transferred me there to work on some Ancient artifacts which Dr Jackson found but hadn’t got time to examine. I was at the SGC for six months working with Dr Jackson and Dr Lee. I enjoyed it but I didn’t really like being underground all the time, it was a little claustrophobic. I went back to Area 51 about eight months ago but then I heard I’d been picked for Atlantis.” She gestured with her arm, encompassing the view of the ocean. “I love it here already, the views are wonderful, there’s so much light and air and it’s so clean, there’s no pollution is there?”
“No, but you really do notice the difference when you go back to Earth, especially if you have allergies. There’s nothing here to be allergic to. Well, unless you’re McKay and the cooks are serving something with citrus in, he is deathly allergic to citrus as I’m sure he’ll tell you at some point.” Carol rolled her eyes and laughed as she stood. “I’ll get some more coffee.”
“So what are you working on at the moment?” Maria asked Miko.
“Well during the second year we found some labs on the lower levels, but they had been flooded as they were in locations damaged during the Ancients’ war with the Wraith, so when they sunk the City the water flooded in.” Miko explained, her hands moving expressively. “Those labs have since dried out and now that we have more time and personnel we are starting to explore them to determine what the equipment housed there is for. We have to be very careful though, the Ancients did all sorts of experiments, some of which worked and others which didn’t. Unfortunately, they did not label those ones which are a danger and the Ancient database is not very helpful.”
Carol chuckled as she sat down again with a jug of coffee and a plate of freshly baked cookies. She filled all three mugs before speaking.
“You’ve just reminded me of one of the funniest moments with McKay in Antarctica.” She reminisced with a smile. “Colonel Sheppard, or Major Sheppard as he was then, flew General O’Neill to the base while McKay was trying to get Dr Beckett to work the Ancient Chair there. Beckett was terrified of Ancient technology and somehow managed to set off a drone which locked on to the chopper Sheppard was flying. He managed to avoid it and impressed O’Neill so much with his evasive flying that the General brought him down into the base, even without proper clearance. Sheppard was wandering around and sat in the Chair. It lit up like the Las Vegas Strip at night and I thought McKay was going to have an orgasm right there and then he was so excited at the strength of the Colonel’s gene. Sheppard just stared up and asked skeptically ‘did I do that?’ It really was funny.”
They all burst into laughter, making others at tables nearby turn to look, before slowly composing themselves. Carol shook her head with a smile as she helped herself to one of the cookies.
“Poor Sheppard, once he joined the Expedition McKay monopolized his time from the moment he arrived at the SGC until we left through the gate. They’re complete opposites in character but somehow they complement and balance each other and they work well together as respective heads of department which ensures a good relationship between the military and science contingents. By the time we got to Atlantis they’d become friends, they certainly spend a lot of time together and tease each other mercilessly.”
“Colonel Sheppard has definitely had a positive effect on Dr McKay, he has taught him to relax and actually have fun. He is more human now.” Miko nodded firmly with a giggle. “Dr McKay was the first person to get the gene therapy and when they found out it worked he tested out a personal shield. Dr Weir was horrified when she saw Colonel Sheppard throw Dr McKay off the balcony to demonstrate that he couldn’t be hurt while wearing the shield. And then the Colonel told her he’d shot Dr McKay too. They were grinning like schoolboys.”
“They do bring out the inner child in each other.” Carol continued with an amused smile. “They built radio controlled cars and they race them in the lower level corridors; they play chess, have movie nights, and play computer games. I think golf is about the only thing the Colonel hasn’t managed to convince him to play.” She broke off take a sip of her coffee and Miko took up the story.
“I used to have a crush on Dr McKay that first year.” Miko admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. “I knew of him before I joined the Expedition from his published works and when I was read in to the program and saw what he had been working on I was completely in awe of him. I wanted so hard to prove to him that I was worthy of my inclusion in the Expedition and wanted him to notice me. I think I made a little bit of a fool of myself when I look back.”
“Oh you were sweet,” Carol butted in with a smile. “It just showed how oblivious McKay could be though that he didn’t even notice that you were trying so hard. But he soon came to realize that you were one of the people he could trust and rely on. Believe me, Maria, McKay doesn’t give out praise or thanks very often, being called half-way competent it is a rare complement and should be taken as such.”
“Is he in a relationship with Dr Keller? That’s what I heard when I was at the SGC but I didn’t see her name on the personnel list.” Maria asked.
“Oh they were for a while. When Atlantis was on Earth things were a little more laid back, we didn’t have the emergencies, the constant threat of death or attack. Although they seemed to be happy together she monopolized his time and decided he needed to be introduced to her father. They were supposed to be gone for a month as they were also visiting McKay’s sister but he returned after two weeks and was in a really bad mood, he was shouting at everyone, even tried Sheppard’s patience. Keller never returned at all and I understand she’s now found a new job completely outside of the Stargate Program. Thank goodness we got Beckett back when we did.”
“I always thought that Dr Keller was wrong for Dr McKay.” Miko frowned. “She kept trying to change him, if she had really cared for him she would not have wanted him to change. But now that we are back in the Pegasus Galaxy things have returned to normal. Teyla and Kanaan are having another child, a brother or sister for little Torren. Ronon and Amelia are engaged and Dr McKay and Colonel Sheppard are spending their downtime together again, Dr McKay is about as mellow as he has ever been and it really is a pleasure working for him. Here he is now.” She waved her cookie in the direction of the door.
Maria looked around with interest, recognizing both Dr Rodney McKay and Colonel Sheppard from photos. They were both talking animatedly as they crossed the room and picked up coffee and cake, oblivious to anyone around them.
“Miko, do you remember the time when Dr McKay jumped into the black cloud?” Carol turned to Maria. “Dr McKay isn’t known for being the bravest person on Atlantis; he’ll make a fuss about something as innocuous as a paper cut but The Ancients had trapped an alien entity in a containment vessel and one of the Athosian children managed to let it out. Both us and the and military spent hours chasing it through the city, it fed off energy which increased its mass, eventually they lured it to the gateroom and loaded a naquada generator onto a MALP to try to encourage it through the gate. Unfortunately the MALP got stuck and as McKay still had the shield he walked right into the cloud and threw the generator through the gate, luckily the cloud followed. It took some bravery and I think a lot of people saw a different side to McKay that day.”
“We almost lost him several times and not just when he was off world with SGA-1, they have had many close calls over the years.” Miko recalled. “There was this piece of Ancient technology which enhanced his brain and made him even more of a genius; no-one could keep up with him. But then it was discovered that it couldn’t last and that he was slowly dying.”
“Sheppard even tried to help him Ascend in the hope that he would come back like Daniel Jackson did.” Carol interjected. “We spent days trawling through the Ancient database trying to find answers, it’s really frustrating as it’s not in any kind of logical order. I’ll never forget the fear and frustration I felt, especially when Beckett kept trying to get us to sleep and all we wanted to do was keep working, I felt so powerless, we just couldn’t find anything to help, I was so afraid for him.”
Miko nodded in agreement, her face serious as she recalled the event.
“Yes, but then, just at the last moment when Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard and the rest of the team were gathered round saying a final goodbye, Dr McKay realized how to reverse the action and was able tell Dr Beckett telepathically what to do to save him. It was very close though.” Miko finished with a sigh. “We had all been so worried.”
“And what about the time when he had the alien parasite in his brain!” Carol exclaimed.
Maria shuddered at the thought and couldn’t help glancing over towards her new boss.
“That was definitely creepy.” Miko agreed.
“What happened?” Maria asked.
“It was a disease common to the Pegasus Galaxy, both Ronon and Teyla knew of it, they called it the Second Childhood. The affected person gradually regresses to being a child and forgets everything over a short period of time.” Carol explained. “Woolsey even contacted his sister and she was allowed to return to Atlantis. By that time he didn’t recognize many people. He did recognize Jeannie, his sister, but he struggled to remember who everyone else was.”
“Except Colonel Sheppard.” Miko butted in.
“Yes, except for Sheppard. He had to stay with him all the time, if he wasn’t in sight McKay called for him and panicked. Ronon suggested taking him to Talus where his grandfather had been taken, there’s a cave with a shrine where those with the illness become lucid again. Keller refused but Sheppard and the others wanted to take him there and Jeannie agreed and insisted as his next-of-kin. They discovered that ionizing radiation at the Shrine shrunk the parasite and Sheppard insisted that Keller operate on McKay to remove it with the drill from the jumper and a life-signs detector. She didn’t want to but the Colonel can be extremely persuasive when he wants to be. I think that’s when a lot of people realized Keller didn’t really care for McKay the way he was. She’d actually liked him when he first became ill and refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong. I’m glad she’s gone, Beckett is a far better person to have as Chief Medical Officer than she ever was.”
Maria watched as the two men stood, having finished their coffee and cake. She didn’t mean to stare but her colleagues’ revelations had intrigued her, her new boss was obviously a very complex person. Caught up in her musings she didn’t look away quickly enough and caught Dr McKay’s eyes.
“Hey you!” Rodney exclaimed walking over. “Aren’t you…” He broke off, snapping his fingers impatiently. “Ah, Mary Watson, isn’t it?”
“Close, Dr McKay, it’s Maria Weston actually.” She replied with a smile, rising and holding out her hand for a firm handshake. “Thank you for choosing me for your team, I’ve been looking forward to working with you.”
“Good, good, that’s good. I’m glad to see you’re settling in, you came highly recommended by Daniel Jackson, you should enjoy it here.”
She sat down as he turned to walk away, holding back a laugh at the way Colonel Sheppard grinned and rolled his eyes behind Dr McKay’s back. Working for Dr McKay was going to be very interesting indeed.
End
Creator: starbuckssue
Characters: Miko Kusanagi, Carol Simpson, OC
Rating: Gen
Warnings: None
Prompt: goddess47
Summary: What’s it really been like working here since the beginning and working for Dr McKay, is everything they say about him true?
Notes: Written for SGA_Smooch SGA Love 2014
Many thanks to selenic76 for the beta and helpful suggestions and comments.
“Hi, are you Dr Kusanagi?” Maria Weston hesitated in the doorway as she questioned the sole person currently working in the main lab.
“Yes.” Miko Kusanagi replied, looking up with a smile. “Please call me Miko. You must be one of the new scientists who arrived on the Daedalus yesterday. Welcome to Atlantis.” She reached out as Maria crossed the room to shake her hand.
“Maria Weston, pleased to meet you. Lieutenant Rivers gave us the induction tour yesterday afternoon and pointed out the main labs. I don’t officially start my first duty until Monday but I thought I’d wander around a bit, orient myself and meet some of my colleagues. I understand I’ll initially be working mainly with you and Dr Simpson.”
“That is right. We have both been here since the start of the Atlantis Expedition so we are old hands, as they say.” She smiled as she turned and typed a command into her computer, locking the screen before turning. “Come, I know where to find Carol Simpson, if she is free we could grab a coffee and get to know one another.” She led the way out of the lab towards the smaller labs further down the corridor, her hands in constant motion as she continued talking.
“There are not many of us left from that first group who came through the gate and the first year was very difficult for everyone. Since we re-established contact with Earth people have come and gone. Some love it out here but some do not like the danger or the pressure, others just miss their families and friends, they stay for six months or a year and then rotate back to Earth. Some just do not like working with Dr McKay.” She finished with a shrug.
“I’ve read some of the reports; it sounds as if working on Atlantis is something of a rollercoaster ride.”
Miko laughed in agreement as they turned into a doorway on the left. Maria looked around with interest, seeing several people working in the small lab.
“Hi Carol, have you got time for a coffee? This is Maria Weston.” Miko called out to a rather serious looking woman in the far corner, indicating Maria who was standing beside her smiling shyly.
“Sure, just let me save the settings on this and I can leave it to run on its own.” She typed in a few commands and rose, smiling as she walked over to meet them, the smile changed her demeanor completely. “Hi Maria, glad you made it safely. How did you survive the journey? I usually find being cooped up on the Daedalus a little boring, there’re only so many experiments you can run without external data.”
“I spent the time reading up on some of the Atlantis reports. I was just saying to Miko that it doesn’t seem like there’s ever a dull moment. What’s it really been like working here since the beginning and working for Dr McKay, is everything they say about him true?”
Carol and Miko looked at each other and laughed. They turned out of the lab and started walking towards the transporter as Carol replied with a grin.
“You know if you’d told me six years ago that I’d still be here after all this time I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I knew what McKay was like as I’d worked with him in Antarctica, but it’s not every day you get the chance to explore another galaxy so I thought it was worth it.”
Miko nodded her head in agreement.
“Being chosen for the Atlantis Expedition was a thrill and a great honor, both for me and for my country. I too had heard the rumors about Dr McKay but, like Carol, I decided that it would be worth it to get to experience life in another galaxy.” Miko agreed.
“McKay has mellowed over the years.” Carol admitted. “Oh don’t get me wrong he’s still very intense and liable to rant and rave and bawl you out, but his bark is worse than his bite. After all, out here mistakes can cost lives and even the slightest hesitation can mean the difference between life and death, he works best under pressure himself. Like the time Colonel Sheppard had an Iratus Bug attached to his neck and the Puddlejumper got stuck in the Stargate when one of the drive pods wouldn’t retract. McKay worked on the problem from the Puddlejumper and a group of us worked on it this end. Talk about a deadline, it was literally life or death for everyone on board and we all needed a healthy shot of Radek’s moonshine by the time those 38 minutes were up. It was a close call but they got out of it with literally seconds to go.” She shivered at the memory and, lost in the moment, almost walked into another scientist who was just getting out of the transporter, totally distracted by something on his tablet.
“Oops, sorry Mike.” She said with a frown as they entered the transporter. “Anyway, back in the early days McKay was a total workaholic and a real bear to work for. He forgot to go for meals and lived on coffee and power bars and he didn’t even know any of our names, it was either ‘hey you’ with a lot of snapping of his fingers if we didn’t react quickly enough, or he would get our names completely wrong. He called me Simpkins for about six months before he got it right, even Dr Zelenka had to put up with being called Nelenka, Zelemka or simply The Czech and he works the closest with McKay.”
She broke off as they got out of the transporter and turned down another corridor, moving to one side to avoid a group of marines coming the other way.
“Some people didn’t like him at all at first.” She continued once they were on their own again. “But most of us found that if we did what was asked, did it quickly and to the best of our ability, we were okay. Peter Kavanagh was the worst, he always disagreed or argued with McKay and constantly complained about him, but then Kavanagh was pretty obnoxious, thank goodness he went back to Earth as know I couldn’t have worked with him for six years. McKay and Kavanagh both come across as arrogant know-it-alls, the difference is McKay really is a genius and what he doesn’t know he’ll quickly work out. Kavanagh just thinks he knows better but most of us have proved him wrong at one time or another.”
They entered the mess and Miko introduced Maria to the mess crew as they collected their coffee and dithered over the freshly baked cakes, still warm from the ovens.
“Ooh brownies,” Miko enthused with glee, picking one up and putting it on her tray. “The cooks make such wonderful, gooey, brownies. It is one way to placate Dr McKay, bring him a strong black coffee and brownies.”
Carol rolled her eyes and grinned at Maria as she selected a piece of carrot cake.
“Miko has spent the past five years supplying McKay with coffee and brownies.” She said with a chuckle. “I’m not sure he’s ever thanked her, or even noticed it’s her putting them on his desk, but it certainly calms him down when he’s on a tear. I’m sure if you blindfolded him he’d still find coffee and chocolate the moment they were anywhere near his vicinity.”
Miko flushed slightly and giggled as they made their way through the mess with their trays.
“I think Dr McKay must have been a loner before he came to Atlantis, he is not good with people or social interaction.” Miko reflected as they found a free table at one end of the balcony and settled down with their trays. “He is a genius, although most people will never admit that to his face and a brave and honorable man. It is scary sometimes how quickly his mind can process things, most of us find it hard to keep up. The only person who does come close is Dr Zelenka. When they are brainstorming an idea together their minds work in exactly the same way and they will often finish each other’s sentences, it is quite impressive to watch! The one thing to remember though is that Dr McKay always expects the best from himself and, therefore, from everyone else he works with.”
She stopped to take a mouthful of coffee just as Maria tasted her brownie.
“You were right; these brownies are to die for. Is all the food this good?” Maria asked eagerly.
“The food is a real mixture. Some of our food supplies come from Earth but a lot of the meat, vegetables and fruit we trade for with various communities in Pegasus, particularly the Athosians now they are settled. The food itself is somewhat unusual sometimes, but the cooks do a good job with whatever they have. It’s fusion cooking taken to the extreme.” Carol explained.
“I look forward to trying it all.” Maria replied with interest. “I’ve travelled quite extensively and one thing I always enjoy is trying new foods, there isn’t much I don’t like.”
“You should be alright here then.” Carol twirled her fork with a flourish as she finished the last bite of her carrot cake, a look of bliss on her face. “Ooh I do love the carrot cake. Some of the combinations they come up with are…well, interesting is probably the best way to describe it.”
“Have you worked with Ancient technology for long, Maria?” Miko asked as she drained the last of her coffee.
“I was at Area 51 for two years, then the SGC transferred me there to work on some Ancient artifacts which Dr Jackson found but hadn’t got time to examine. I was at the SGC for six months working with Dr Jackson and Dr Lee. I enjoyed it but I didn’t really like being underground all the time, it was a little claustrophobic. I went back to Area 51 about eight months ago but then I heard I’d been picked for Atlantis.” She gestured with her arm, encompassing the view of the ocean. “I love it here already, the views are wonderful, there’s so much light and air and it’s so clean, there’s no pollution is there?”
“No, but you really do notice the difference when you go back to Earth, especially if you have allergies. There’s nothing here to be allergic to. Well, unless you’re McKay and the cooks are serving something with citrus in, he is deathly allergic to citrus as I’m sure he’ll tell you at some point.” Carol rolled her eyes and laughed as she stood. “I’ll get some more coffee.”
“So what are you working on at the moment?” Maria asked Miko.
“Well during the second year we found some labs on the lower levels, but they had been flooded as they were in locations damaged during the Ancients’ war with the Wraith, so when they sunk the City the water flooded in.” Miko explained, her hands moving expressively. “Those labs have since dried out and now that we have more time and personnel we are starting to explore them to determine what the equipment housed there is for. We have to be very careful though, the Ancients did all sorts of experiments, some of which worked and others which didn’t. Unfortunately, they did not label those ones which are a danger and the Ancient database is not very helpful.”
Carol chuckled as she sat down again with a jug of coffee and a plate of freshly baked cookies. She filled all three mugs before speaking.
“You’ve just reminded me of one of the funniest moments with McKay in Antarctica.” She reminisced with a smile. “Colonel Sheppard, or Major Sheppard as he was then, flew General O’Neill to the base while McKay was trying to get Dr Beckett to work the Ancient Chair there. Beckett was terrified of Ancient technology and somehow managed to set off a drone which locked on to the chopper Sheppard was flying. He managed to avoid it and impressed O’Neill so much with his evasive flying that the General brought him down into the base, even without proper clearance. Sheppard was wandering around and sat in the Chair. It lit up like the Las Vegas Strip at night and I thought McKay was going to have an orgasm right there and then he was so excited at the strength of the Colonel’s gene. Sheppard just stared up and asked skeptically ‘did I do that?’ It really was funny.”
They all burst into laughter, making others at tables nearby turn to look, before slowly composing themselves. Carol shook her head with a smile as she helped herself to one of the cookies.
“Poor Sheppard, once he joined the Expedition McKay monopolized his time from the moment he arrived at the SGC until we left through the gate. They’re complete opposites in character but somehow they complement and balance each other and they work well together as respective heads of department which ensures a good relationship between the military and science contingents. By the time we got to Atlantis they’d become friends, they certainly spend a lot of time together and tease each other mercilessly.”
“Colonel Sheppard has definitely had a positive effect on Dr McKay, he has taught him to relax and actually have fun. He is more human now.” Miko nodded firmly with a giggle. “Dr McKay was the first person to get the gene therapy and when they found out it worked he tested out a personal shield. Dr Weir was horrified when she saw Colonel Sheppard throw Dr McKay off the balcony to demonstrate that he couldn’t be hurt while wearing the shield. And then the Colonel told her he’d shot Dr McKay too. They were grinning like schoolboys.”
“They do bring out the inner child in each other.” Carol continued with an amused smile. “They built radio controlled cars and they race them in the lower level corridors; they play chess, have movie nights, and play computer games. I think golf is about the only thing the Colonel hasn’t managed to convince him to play.” She broke off take a sip of her coffee and Miko took up the story.
“I used to have a crush on Dr McKay that first year.” Miko admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. “I knew of him before I joined the Expedition from his published works and when I was read in to the program and saw what he had been working on I was completely in awe of him. I wanted so hard to prove to him that I was worthy of my inclusion in the Expedition and wanted him to notice me. I think I made a little bit of a fool of myself when I look back.”
“Oh you were sweet,” Carol butted in with a smile. “It just showed how oblivious McKay could be though that he didn’t even notice that you were trying so hard. But he soon came to realize that you were one of the people he could trust and rely on. Believe me, Maria, McKay doesn’t give out praise or thanks very often, being called half-way competent it is a rare complement and should be taken as such.”
“Is he in a relationship with Dr Keller? That’s what I heard when I was at the SGC but I didn’t see her name on the personnel list.” Maria asked.
“Oh they were for a while. When Atlantis was on Earth things were a little more laid back, we didn’t have the emergencies, the constant threat of death or attack. Although they seemed to be happy together she monopolized his time and decided he needed to be introduced to her father. They were supposed to be gone for a month as they were also visiting McKay’s sister but he returned after two weeks and was in a really bad mood, he was shouting at everyone, even tried Sheppard’s patience. Keller never returned at all and I understand she’s now found a new job completely outside of the Stargate Program. Thank goodness we got Beckett back when we did.”
“I always thought that Dr Keller was wrong for Dr McKay.” Miko frowned. “She kept trying to change him, if she had really cared for him she would not have wanted him to change. But now that we are back in the Pegasus Galaxy things have returned to normal. Teyla and Kanaan are having another child, a brother or sister for little Torren. Ronon and Amelia are engaged and Dr McKay and Colonel Sheppard are spending their downtime together again, Dr McKay is about as mellow as he has ever been and it really is a pleasure working for him. Here he is now.” She waved her cookie in the direction of the door.
Maria looked around with interest, recognizing both Dr Rodney McKay and Colonel Sheppard from photos. They were both talking animatedly as they crossed the room and picked up coffee and cake, oblivious to anyone around them.
“Miko, do you remember the time when Dr McKay jumped into the black cloud?” Carol turned to Maria. “Dr McKay isn’t known for being the bravest person on Atlantis; he’ll make a fuss about something as innocuous as a paper cut but The Ancients had trapped an alien entity in a containment vessel and one of the Athosian children managed to let it out. Both us and the and military spent hours chasing it through the city, it fed off energy which increased its mass, eventually they lured it to the gateroom and loaded a naquada generator onto a MALP to try to encourage it through the gate. Unfortunately the MALP got stuck and as McKay still had the shield he walked right into the cloud and threw the generator through the gate, luckily the cloud followed. It took some bravery and I think a lot of people saw a different side to McKay that day.”
“We almost lost him several times and not just when he was off world with SGA-1, they have had many close calls over the years.” Miko recalled. “There was this piece of Ancient technology which enhanced his brain and made him even more of a genius; no-one could keep up with him. But then it was discovered that it couldn’t last and that he was slowly dying.”
“Sheppard even tried to help him Ascend in the hope that he would come back like Daniel Jackson did.” Carol interjected. “We spent days trawling through the Ancient database trying to find answers, it’s really frustrating as it’s not in any kind of logical order. I’ll never forget the fear and frustration I felt, especially when Beckett kept trying to get us to sleep and all we wanted to do was keep working, I felt so powerless, we just couldn’t find anything to help, I was so afraid for him.”
Miko nodded in agreement, her face serious as she recalled the event.
“Yes, but then, just at the last moment when Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard and the rest of the team were gathered round saying a final goodbye, Dr McKay realized how to reverse the action and was able tell Dr Beckett telepathically what to do to save him. It was very close though.” Miko finished with a sigh. “We had all been so worried.”
“And what about the time when he had the alien parasite in his brain!” Carol exclaimed.
Maria shuddered at the thought and couldn’t help glancing over towards her new boss.
“That was definitely creepy.” Miko agreed.
“What happened?” Maria asked.
“It was a disease common to the Pegasus Galaxy, both Ronon and Teyla knew of it, they called it the Second Childhood. The affected person gradually regresses to being a child and forgets everything over a short period of time.” Carol explained. “Woolsey even contacted his sister and she was allowed to return to Atlantis. By that time he didn’t recognize many people. He did recognize Jeannie, his sister, but he struggled to remember who everyone else was.”
“Except Colonel Sheppard.” Miko butted in.
“Yes, except for Sheppard. He had to stay with him all the time, if he wasn’t in sight McKay called for him and panicked. Ronon suggested taking him to Talus where his grandfather had been taken, there’s a cave with a shrine where those with the illness become lucid again. Keller refused but Sheppard and the others wanted to take him there and Jeannie agreed and insisted as his next-of-kin. They discovered that ionizing radiation at the Shrine shrunk the parasite and Sheppard insisted that Keller operate on McKay to remove it with the drill from the jumper and a life-signs detector. She didn’t want to but the Colonel can be extremely persuasive when he wants to be. I think that’s when a lot of people realized Keller didn’t really care for McKay the way he was. She’d actually liked him when he first became ill and refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong. I’m glad she’s gone, Beckett is a far better person to have as Chief Medical Officer than she ever was.”
Maria watched as the two men stood, having finished their coffee and cake. She didn’t mean to stare but her colleagues’ revelations had intrigued her, her new boss was obviously a very complex person. Caught up in her musings she didn’t look away quickly enough and caught Dr McKay’s eyes.
“Hey you!” Rodney exclaimed walking over. “Aren’t you…” He broke off, snapping his fingers impatiently. “Ah, Mary Watson, isn’t it?”
“Close, Dr McKay, it’s Maria Weston actually.” She replied with a smile, rising and holding out her hand for a firm handshake. “Thank you for choosing me for your team, I’ve been looking forward to working with you.”
“Good, good, that’s good. I’m glad to see you’re settling in, you came highly recommended by Daniel Jackson, you should enjoy it here.”
She sat down as he turned to walk away, holding back a laugh at the way Colonel Sheppard grinned and rolled his eyes behind Dr McKay’s back. Working for Dr McKay was going to be very interesting indeed.
End